Luminance : Day 2

If by now you thought you knew everything about photography, you are wrong. In fact, after another day at Luminance 2012, it seems that everything that you know is about to become obsolete.

Take the Lytro for example, presented an explained by Eric Cheng who is Director of Photography at Lytro. Based on recently define principles, it is just emerging into the consumer market with a camera available for all.

The Lytro, unlike any traditional camera, film or digital, works by capturing all fields of light instead of just those pointing to your lens. What does this mean ? Well, for one, every focal point exists in your image, making it easy to refocus after the image is taken.

And thats just one aspect. Once the sensors become more powerful and cheaper, there is much more those cameras will do, opening new frontiers for photographers.

But its not only technology that is evolving. The business of photography is also rapidly changing. 20x200, for example, has open the acquisition of fine art to everyone, allowing for a democratization of its acceptance. On the licensing front, Gary Morgan, founder and CEO of Splash News, couldn't have made it clearer when his proclaimed that the current photo licensing models are obsolete and soon to be replaced. He should know, he runs the most successful pap agency in the world. Revenue sharing is the new photo licensing currency. The amusing part was that Getty's presentation, led by Craig Peters, VP of business development, seemed to disagree, proclaiming loud and clear that the world intends to preserve an economy where photography is paid via specific licenses. Wishful thinking from the company making close to $ 1 billion in licensing revenue per year ? Probably.

One thing is for sure, even the world of fine art is evolving. As Christie's tells us, the prices keep on going up and up , with last year record probably going to be broken soon.“Factors that affect value of photographs are uniqueness, provenance and scale.” said Sara Friedlander, VP Post-War & Contemporary Art, Christie’s. 

The two day sessions during the first ever Luminance conference were full of innovative, insightful, thought provoking presentation in and around the world of photography, offering a glimpse into what photography is and what it is going to be. It makes us realize how it is a young and almost untapped form of expression, full of yet to be explored possibilities. There is nothing that has already happened that can start to define what photography will look like in the next twenty year and even as we experience its massive explosion of the last 5 years, it is still vastly undefined. Presenters were significantly in love with the still image the way it is today, yet eager to see it change dramatically in the near future. 
While some lament and complain on the closing of companies like Polaroid or Kodak, the disappearance of film and print, the passing of legendary photographers and the emergence of the anyone is a photographer culture , this conference organized by Photoshelter reminds us that we are far from loosing anything. Rather, we are experiencing the amazing evolution of what is probably the most powerful and important means of communication ever invented by mankind. 

We cannot wait for the next Luminance and its new set of amazing speakers.

Paul Melcher

Luminance, The intersection of business, technology, culture and </ em>photography
September 12-13, 2012 

BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center 

199 Chambers St. 

New York, NY 10007